Adjustments
by Ivy Kendall
Summary: This story has been germinating since I saw the promos for Sweet Revenge (3.09). This will be completely AU by 9PM tonight, but until then, I give you a version of what might happen after Sharon began her smack-down of Ricky.
1. Chapter 1

Sharon shook her head in disgust. This was not going the way she had expected. A knock on the front door didn't help. Going to open it, she noticed Ricky had headed into the kitchen to get away from her. Rusty was already locked in his bedroom, music playing to drown out the conversation. A headache was forming behind her eyes that matched the one already formed behind her heart.

"Andy?" she said, opening the door further. She didn't expect to see him.

"Yeah..." he scratched behind his ear and looked down at the floor, sure signs that he was uncomfortable but going to do what he came to do anyway. "I saw some stuff today and I thought maybe it was your turn for a buffer." He shrugged the last bit and smiled that crooked grin of his.

Momentarily stunned, Sharon let go of the breath she didn't realize she was holding, and her shoulders deflated as she exhaled. "Am I the only one who didn't see this coming?" she asked quietly, as she ushered him into her condo.

"You want the truth or you want me to say something comforting?"

Sharon closed her eyes and sighed, "That obvious, was it?"

"Meh, I'm removed from it all. You're living the hope that your family will work. That's always been your thing."

"So it's just a fantasy that all three of them will at least get along for my sake?" She looked at him, feeling deflated.

"If you're going to talk about me, Mom, at least wait till I'm gone," Ricky burst around the corner with the all too familiar look of displeasure on his face.

Before Sharon had a chance to respond, Flynn intervened, "Hey! That's your mother. Show some respect!"

The air crackled. Sharon didn't think anyone aside from her own father had ever said those words to her children. Part of her wanted to pat Andy on the arm and tell him it was okay, but another part of her appreciated the support. It was unfamiliar but certainly not unwelcome.

Ricky didn't seem to know what to do either, so he stood there, almost frightened, looking from his mother to this stranger.

Andy didn't let the silence stop him. He pointed at Ricky then the couch, "You're an adult, act like it. You go sit on the couch and get yourself together." Then he looked at Sharon, "The Kid in his room?"

She nodded, turning to look at Andy. He was already heading down the hall.

Knocking loud enough to be heard over the music, Andy waited for the door to be answered. "Turn that down," he demanded, as he barged into the room and closed the door. Whatever he was saying to Rusty was lost to her, so Sharon turned back to Ricky and moved to sit in the chair across from him.

"Who is that guy?" Ricky asked as soon as she was seated.

"That's... his name is Andy Flynn and he works with me at Major Crimes. He's also become a very good friend."

"He seems to know his way around here pretty well." If Ricky was harbouring any attitude, it died as soon as he saw the pained look Sharon was giving him. "Sorry... he seems to really care about you, Mom."

"We care about each other. Our whole team does."

Ricky nodded his head, and looked down at his clasped hands. "I'm trying to understand this, Mom. I really am."

"I should have handled this better. I'm sorry, Ricky. I wasn't anticipating..." she stopped, taking a moment to choose her words carefully before continuing. "I didn't take your perspective into account. I was thinking of what was best for Rusty, but I didn't explain things to you."

"Why adoption, Mom? He's not a child anymore, and he's already got a mother."

Sharon struggled again to find the words to help Ricky understand, when the door down the hall opened again, and she turned to watch Rusty shuffle towards the living room with Andy right behind him, phone in his hand. "See you soon," was all he said before he hung up.

"You're leaving?" Sharon asked, surprised that he would go after such a short visit.

"Nope," he replied. He knew Sharon kept her delivery menus in the credenza in her dining room, so he opened the drawer, picked up all the flyers and brought them over to the coffee table. "Now, the first thing you two guys are going to do is agree on what's for dinner. Nothing like this can be settled on an empty stomach."

Rusty immediately leaned forward and started to pull some of his favourites out. Ricky looked from his mother to the Andy-guy, about to protest. The look Andy was giving him let him know that would not be in his best interests, so he leaned into the collection and started shuffling as well.

Sharon was amazed that Andy had set them to such a mediocre task, and they were obeying him. Rising from her chair, she looked at him and reached out her finger to point to the kitchen.

Nodding his understanding, Andy followed her, looking once over his shoulder to see that Ricky and Rusty were doing as they were instructed.

"Andy, I appreciate the support, I do, but I can handle this." She had crossed her arms, letting him know she meant business.

"Look Sharon, you are the world's best mom. Those boys know it and so do I. But sometimes a man has to be kicked in the ass by another man."

"I don't understand."

Andy smiled gently, "I think you do. Look... you've been a single parent all your life, right? Those kids in there love you and fear you, in a good way. But they also know what buttons to push."

She started to protest, but he shook his head and grabbed her upper arms in his hands to make sure he had her full attention. "We all need back-up, from time to time. And right now you need back-up. Like I told you before, you did that for me with Nicole. You've done it lots of time, actually. This is me returning the favour."

"I didn't handle this well," Sharon confessed shaking her head and closing her eyes.

"Maybe yes, maybe no, doesn't matter now. We're going to have a dinner that they both like, and we're going to spend some time hashing this out."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Nic. I invited Nicole to come over."

"Nicole? Why?"

"Because I got a hunch Ricky has been told some things that aren't on the up and up, and with Nicole here, it might help. She knows Rusty and she knows he's a good kid who was in a bad place. Another voice might help Ricky understand what's going on here."

"You think..."

"Come on, Sharon, I'm sure you've thought about it too. Jack is pretty pissed about the divorce and you adopting Rusty. You want to tell me he's above calling his own kid and giving him a version of Rusty that's not accurate? He's always known the way to you is through your kids."

"I had hoped Jack would be decent about it, but..." she sighed.

"Look," he squeezed her upper arms again before letting go, "we don't know nothin yet. Let's have dinner, let's talk it out, let's get Ricky's fears on the table and we'll go from there."

"What did you tell Rusty?"

Andy shrugged, which Sharon recognized instantly as his way of getting out of telling her the whole truth, "Eh, I just reminded him of a few things, like how Ricky has been protective of you his entire life and that's what's going on now. Come on..."

"No one has to protect me," Sharon protested quietly as she followed Andy out of the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

Rusty and Ricky looked up at Andy and Sharon when they returned. "We decided on this," Ricky said flatly, handing the flyer to Andy.

"So what should we order, boys?" he sat down beside Ricky on the sofa, forcing Ricky to move closer to Rusty.

Sharon hung back, watching the three look at the menu. She recognized it instantly as being the latest from her favourite Thai restaurant. She knew Rusty preferred burgers and Ricky loved pizza, so the fact that they both put aside their personal favourites for her brought a smile to her face and warmed her heart. Maybe Andy was on to something, she decided.

A knock on the door made the three on the sofa look up, and Sharon quickly went to greet the new arrival. "Sharon," a voice said, quickly enveloping the older woman in a hug.

"Nicole, your father told me he invited you. I'm glad you could make it."

"It's okay, isn't it?" Nicole stood back, looking wearily at Sharon.

"Of course, Honey," Sharon gave her a quick hug again. "I'm always glad to see you, you know that."

"Dad..." Nicole said, moving towards Andy, and hugging him from the side.

"Hi Sweetheart," he kissed her forehead, "we're discussing dinner. What would you like?" He gave her the menu, and turned the paper to show her what they had already picked.

"I guess I'll set the table," Sharon said to no one in particular.

As if sensing Ricky's hostility rise, Andy put a hand on his arm and kept him from getting up, "Cool it, hotshot," Andy said under his breath, "your mother is relaxing so let her be. You think this conversation is going to happen if everyone is pissed?"

Nicole's eyes shot up immediately, as she looked from her father to Ricky. It was hard to miss Rusty on the end, looking pale and uncomfortable. "Why am I here, Dad?"

Looking over his shoulder to see that Sharon was far enough out of earshot, Andy leaned in closer to Nicole and Ricky. "I called you to come help, Nic. Rick here is angry that Sharon wants to adopt Rusty, and Rusty over there, is thinking about walking out of Sharon's life completely so her kids won't be upset."

"Oh," Nicole said quietly, while Ricky turned to Rusty. "You'd do that?" he said to the younger boy, with a mixture of hope and mistrust in his voice.

"Look, guys," Andy commanded the attention of the three of them, "can we all agree right now Sharon comes first? She's spent a lot of time thinking about this, and she needs to be able to say her piece. And sometimes it takes her awhile to get it all out, so we're having dinner, understood?!"

"Is that why you're ordering from her favourite restaurant?" Nicole asked, casually pointing to an item she liked and watched as Andy added it to the list.

"We thought..." Rusty started hesitantly, "It's her favourite, right? We thought that might make her happy."

"Good call, guys" was all Nicole responded. "Oh, I love that, we had that last week."

Ricky was about to explode. "What is this?" he hissed. "You're acting like this is some big family dinner and I don't even know you people, any of you. And this is _MY_ mother's home. _My_ mother... do you understand that?"

"Look Kid," Andy quietly growled at him, "you think your mother sits and waits for you to return so she can have a life again? You think in the three years since your last visit, that nothing was gonna change? That she wasn't going to make new friends? Have new people in her life?"

"No... of course not" Ricky protested, but it seemed to loose some of his fury. "How did you know I haven't been here in three years?" The question was weakly asked.

"Cause we have been here," Andy replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm going to help Sharon in the kitchen," Rusty said quietly.

"You stay where you are, Kid." Andy cut him off, making Rusty sit down again.

"What? Now we can't even help her?" Ricky started building up his annoyance again.

Andy shook his head, "Don't you know anything? Sometimes she just needs to be by herself to think things through. We're here getting this order finished, understand?"

"Dad's right", Nicole offered.

Ricky threw his hands up, "Fine, fine... I'm obviously being out numbered."

"Keep it down, Kid."

"Okay, what do we have," Nicole took charge, looking at the paper. "There's a lot of food here," she chuckled. "I guess I have this to look forward to when the boys get bigger."

"What boys?" Ricky asked her, painfully aware he knew nothing about the newcomers, while they knew plenty about his mother.

"My husband has two sons, so when they get bigger they will probably eat like this."

"You have step-sons? And let me guess, you're _adopting_ them?" The word 'adopting' was said with a measure of contempt.

Nicole chose to ignore the slur and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It's come up once or twice, but we really haven't talked about it. It's not exactly something you do without spending a lot of time thinking about it." The last was said looking directly into Ricky's eyes, hoping he got the message to back down.

"How is everything coming?" Sharon asked, entering the living room.

"Just about done," Andy stood from the couch, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "You want to look it over?"

"I trust you."

Giving her his trademark cocky grin, he moved to the kitchen and punched in the numbers.

"Can I get anyone a drink?" Sharon offered.

"Let me do that, Sharon," Rusty jumped up quickly and disappeared into the kitchen behind Andy.

"So Nicole," Sharon sat down in the chair opposite Nicole, "how are the boys?"

Nicole smiled, "Just the same as they were last time you saw them. Getting into trouble, enjoying their summer off... We're having a barbeque next weekend. I haven't had a chance to ask Dad yet, but would you like to come?"

"Let's wait to see what Andy says," Sharon replied with a smile.

"So, what... You're dating this guy? Is that why he's throwing his weight around?" Ricky interjected.

"Richard, I've about had enough. Andy and I are friends, and I expect you to show respect in my home."

"You've had enough?" Ricky stood up quickly, "You've had enough? I find out my mom is taking in a foster kid, that's fine, it's part of one of her old cases. I don't like it, but I know Mom's pretty smart about people. Fine." Ricky was ticking off points on his fingers as he continued. "Then I find out it's not temporary, like she said, but he's staying AND my mother is paying for him to attend one of the best private schools in the city. Fine... he's a witness so there must be funds for that. Wrong! She's paying the whole shot, plus buying him anything he wants. Then I find out the trial is taking forever to happen, and hey look... this witness is having his life threatened and my mother can't come to celebrate Christmas with the family because she's stuck in L.A. under Police Protection. AND... we find out after the fact, she's been threatened too!

"Does it stop there? No, it just gets better. The psycho is living in her own building and nearly kills her in his attempt to kill the witness. I can't do anything because I have to read about it in the news... IN THE NEWS, Mom! Do you know how hard that was?" Ricky glared at Sharon, his anger rising.

"So the trial happens, the bad guy is put away, and the foster kid can be returned to the system. Nope... not a chance. He's now dug in like a tick, riding the gravy train. And now he's convinced her he's vulnerable to the big bad world and she has to protect him after he turns eighteen. This hustler who could handle the streets when he didn't have money, was now suddenly too scared to live a real life once he'd lived the good life. But that's not enough. He has to have a new mommy of his own, and somehow convinces my mother, who I thought would be above this kind of manipulation, that she had to make their relationship legal. Legal! Do you understand what that means, Mom? That means he gets an equal say if anything bad happens to you. We won't even know if he's the cause of it. And Em and I are so far away, we can't keep an eye out to see what else he takes from you? How do we know he won't slit your throat in the middle of the night, now that he's got what he wants? It's wrong, Mom!

Ricky was spitting by the time he was finished.

Rusty and Andy had returned from the kitchen to witness Ricky's outburst. Rusty was quivering. "That's it. I'm leaving," he announced.

"No you are not," Sharon ordered, her voice cracking. Tears streamed down her face, but she was not about to let Ricky have the last word. "Where did you hear about Rusty's past, because I never told you a thing."

"Oh come on, Mom," Ricky threw his hands up in frustration. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"No, but it takes an idiot to believe the words of a guy who is always trying to work an angle," Andy said at last.


	3. Chapter 3

"If that's the information I had, I would feel the same as Rick," Nicole said, looking from Ricky to Sharon, and then up to her father.

"I thought you were on their side," Ricky responded, not taking his eyes from his mother's face.

Nicole hummed, a habit she had unknowingly picked up from Sharon, "I'm not on anyone's side."

"I'm leaving," Rusty announced again, and started to move.

"You heard Sharon, you aren't going anywhere," Andy had his hand on the boys' shoulder, keeping him in place. "You know, the problem with you Kid, is you don't ask questions, you don't explain yourself, and you're too quick to run away. Stick around. Where's that kid who's spent the last three years arguing that he's grown up? Now's the time to prove it."

"I don't want to cause any more problems."

"You leaving causes more problems."

Rick shook his head, and placed his hands on his hips, "Let him go. He wants out, let him out. There's nothing here for him anyway."

"Richard! I said enough! This is Rusty's home, and he will not be the one leaving."

Ricky looked at his mother and shook his head, "Me? You're kicking me out and picking him?"

"Okay, this is getting out of hand," Andy took control again, then pointed at Ricky. "You, back on the sofa and be prepared to list what you think you know. And you," he then pointed at Rusty, "you sit down too, and be prepared to give some answers. Everyone in this room likes to play it close to the vest, and that's costing us right now. It's time to open things up and say it like it is. If we don't, this is going to end in disaster, and I think the one thing we can all agree on is Sharon doesn't deserve any more hurt in her life."

"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Ricky demanded, sitting down on the sofa as far away from Rusty as he could get.

Andy scoffed at the younger man, "Who am I? What the hell are you talking about? We've already had our introductions."

"Nah... nah, there's more going on here. I know your name and you work with Mom, but you are way too familiar with my mother. You know where she keeps her take-out menus, for god's sake. You knew exactly where Rusty's room was. You've already formed an opinion about my father. Who are you to my Mom?"

"Look Kid," Andy said more gently, "we're friends... good friends. And we go back a lot of years. When I was being an idiot and almost blew it with my daughter, your mother stepped in and helped me get my head out of my ass. I'm just returning the favour. And your father... we go way back, back before you were born. So yeah, I've got an opinion alright."

"So do you see why I'm so upset? If you know my father, then you know what he did to her for years. She just gets rid of that and she takes on another hopeless case? How many more years will that drag on before she has to legally protect herself against him?"

"Ricky!"

"Hey, I am not hopeless, okay? Like... I know I have some stuff to work through, but I'm not like Jack."

"You know, Rick, Rusty is really a decent kid, he's just had a lot of bad things happen."

Rick looked at Nicole, "You're taking sides again? I thought you said you understood my point."

Nicole leaned forward and crossed her arms over her knees, "I said... given what you _think_ is true, I can see your point. I never said you were totally right about him."

"So you think I should just back down? You think this adoption is just fine and my concerns mean nothing?" Ricky threw himself back on the sofa, flailing his arms in frustration once more.

"What I think..." Nicole said, not raising her voice, "is Rusty needs a solid family around him. Yeah, in some ways he's a lot more experienced about the world that most people his age, but in other ways he's still working through his kid years."

"Fine, fine... what don't I know... Or better yet, what did Dad make up?" he looked to Sharon, challenging her.

"Ricky... I don't know what to say to you to make you understand. Rusty isn't manipulating me into anything. This was my idea, and I wanted to think it through before any of this got out of hand. Yes, it's true that we were both threatened, and Rusty's stalker almost killed him. I was safe, Honey. I was fine."

Andy huffed at that, and Sharon shot him a look, quieting him and reminding him that ultimately she was still in charge. Then she returned to her son.

"The reason Rusty was threatened is because he was a material witness in a major murder trial. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and gave us the break we needed in a case that had been under investigation for years. We all knew who was responsible, but we couldn't prove it until Rusty witnessed him burying a young woman's body. Now imagine... what were you doing at fifteen? I remember... and you didn't have to worry about where your next meal came from or if you had a safe place to sleep."

"He almost got you killed, Mom."

"No Honey, he didn't. I'm a police officer, Ricky... I have a gun and a badge, and I know how to use both. Can't you trust me to know what I'm doing?"

Ricky leaned over his knees, and ran a hand through his hair, "I want to, Mom... I really do... Dammit, I read this stuff in the news, but you're really living it. What if he hurts you when he gets stronger? What if Em and I did have kids and we brought them here... would we have to worry about him doing something to them?"

Ricky looked more upset then angry, and Sharon's heart broke for him. "Rusty would never hurt me or anyone else."

"But how do you _know_ that? Once he has what he wants, how do you know that?"

"It's what I want, Honey. It's what I want for Rusty and for myself. Ricky, I love you, you know that. You are my son and nothing will ever change that. I feel the same way about Rusty. He is my son and I love him just the same."

"Dad said..."

"How about we do this, Ricky... How about any sentence you want to start with 'Dad said' is already compromised by his attitudes. Honey, your father wants me to pay him for the privilege of being Rusty's adopted parent." Sharon made her point, and awaited the reaction.

"What?" Andy was first. Ricky asked the same question, but he couldn't get the sounds out of his mouth.

"Why would you pay Jack?" Rusty spoke up. "What's he got to do with anything?"

"Rusty, for Jack it always comes down to money. If I adopt you, he wants my money, by divorcing him, he's threatening to take my money, and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to convince Ricky that you were a threat to his inheritance once I die."

Ricky raised his finger to make his point. "I didn't listen to that argument, Mom. Just so you know, that one didn't work."

Sharon smiled indulgently, "I'm glad to hear that.

"But if you knew your dad was trying to work you, why did you fall for it?" Andy asked, amazed once again by the blinders kids put on about their parents.

"Yeah, but Dad," Nicole intervened, not letting Ricky answer, "you have to admit, on the surface it does sound bad. I mean... here's a kid off the streets, who know what drugs he does and how much he steals..."

"I never touched drugs and I don't steal," Rusty defended himself.

Nicole waved him off, "I know that Rusty, but only because I know you. Rick doesn't." Then she turned back to Sharon, "I know you didn't ask, but I think this would be a lot easier if you slowed things down. Rusty is upset and Rick feels blindsided. I can only imagine how Emily will feel. And to be honest, Sharon, I've spent most of my life trying to figure out the truth from the lie with my own parents, and I still don't know which is which some times. It's really hard being the kid in this situation. And in your case, all the 'kids' are adults, so they can make their own choices.

"So you think I should drop it," Sharon shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"No..." Nicole lowered her head slightly, and gave the Flynn smile, "I think Ricky needs to learn who Rusty is, that's all." Then the smile turned slightly mischievous as she turned to Ricky, "Like for instance... did you know Rusty thought Batman was the one who couldn't handle kryptonite?"

"So I don't know my superheros," Rusty threw his hands in the air. "So sue me!"

Andy started to chuckle, but Ricky looked confused. "Superman goes with kryptonite, and why should I care?"

"Because," Nicole was instantly sobered, "when Rusty was babysitting my little guys, they had to teach him about superheros."

"I didn't have a lot of time to learn this stuff when I was growing up, Nicole," Rusty said in his defense.

Ignoring him, Ricky keep looking at Nicole, "You let him babysit your boys? Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what? Look Rick, you've got the headlines right. It was pretty touch and go for awhile, and my heart was pounding when Dad told me how close the stalker got. But the real story is different. Rusty's just this above average kid who was born to a drug user. He plays chess in his spare time. He turned tricks to buy food, because that's what he knew would be the easiest way to money. He doesn't do drugs because he saw first hand how much damage they can do. He plays legos on the floor with two little boys who have had their own fair share of change in their lives. He reads Shakespeare and get's it the first time. His biggest fear is being forgotten and abandoned again. He cooks to show his appreciation since he doesn't have money to pay people, not that we expect that, but he does. Look Rick, everything you read in the headlines is true, but the stuff that the headlines doesn't tell is also true."

Ricky sat back. He had a great deal to think about.


	4. Chapter 4

For the third time that evening, a knock on the door interrupted the conversation. This time brining the food that was desperately needed. A jostle happened at the door as four credit cards were pulled out to pay for the delivery, each more insistent than the last. Sharon argued she made more than the rest, and it was her home, so she would pay. But Ricky trumped all, with the news of his recent windfall, and while Sharon was looking proudly at her son, he slipped the credit card to the delivery man. "Dinner is on me," he finally announced.

Rusty hung back, not sure what to do. The evening had been an emotional roller coaster, and he wanted nothing more than to hide in his room until it was all over.

"Come, Rusty," Sharon touched his shoulder to get his attention. "Sit down and eat."

"I'm not really hungry, Sharon," he tried to beg off.

Andy looked at him, "What I tell you, Kid? It's going to be uncomfortable until it gets better. This is what family looks like. People who know your stories and want you to know theirs. You got to focus on the person at the center, and in your case that's Sharon, and make sure she's happy. Then before you know it, you'll feel part of what's going on, too."

"It's just... weird."

"Look Kid, I know you've said it before. It was you and your mom, and now it's you and Sharon. But here's the thing... it's never been just you and Sharon. It's been you and Sharon and me and Provenza and the rest of the team. Now it's you and Sharon and Ricky and Emily and everyone else who's part of Sharon's world. You've got to lower your walls and get to know people. It won't always be easy, but it gets better."

"But there's so much hostility. I don't know..."

"You have to see it for what it is, Honey," Sharon tried to sooth him. "People make assumptions based on stereotypes. That can't be helped. I've experienced that all my life. Most people do. But here's the thing, by letting a core group of people know who you really are, you have their support for you as an individual, not that stereotype. And you have to give people time to adjust."

While Andy and Sharon were trying to make Rusty feel better, Nicole and Ricky took the food into the kitchen and put everything in serving bowls. "I'm still having a hard time with this," Ricky said low enough so only she could hear.

"I know... and there's no way for anyone to make you feel better about it. You just have to get to know him. He's more... Oh..." she sighed, trying to find her words. "He's a nerd. I can't put any other word on him. He's so unsure of himself sometimes that it's painful to watch. Everything you thought you knew about kids on the streets, prostituting themselves, looking for an easy mark, stealing, drugs, abuse... None of that applies here. And he was only out there for about six month, if you didn't know. He wasn't out there long."

"How do you know all this? My mom didn't tell me anything because his past is none of my business, end quote. How come they told you?"

"Don't get your feathers ruffled," she said, reaching across from him to put a second order of spring rolls on the plate, "like I said, he babysits my kids from time to time. You think you're the only one who was concerned? I had a lot of questions and I made them answer every one. I might not be the boys' first mother, but I love them like I was. I guess I can relate to Sharon in that way. She was kinda hoping biology wouldn't be an issue for you."

"It's not," he said firmly. "This isn't about my inheritance, which I hope won't come for a very long time, and it's not about this guy sharing my DNA. Mom is a softy, and she doesn't exactly deal with the best people in town. How am I supposed to know he won't do something to her? I'm over a thousand miles away, and I've only talked with him through FaceTime twice. And then she springs this on me? No way!"

"Can you at least give her credit for not being drawn in by a con artist?"

"Maybe... I don't know yet."

"Well, that's progress. Look... just see how it goes." Nicole didn't wait for an answer. She carried two bowls into the dinning area and placed them on the table. "Come sit, everyone."

"Oh Nicole, I could have done that," Sharon apologized, realizing she hadn't seen what happened to the food.

"Don't be silly. You've helped in my kitchen a few times," she waved away the concern. "And speaking of..." Nicole looked from Sharon to Andy, as she helped Ricky place the last plates on the table, "we're doing a barbeque next weekend. Sharon says it's up to you, Dad. Will you come?"

Andy started scratching behind his ear again, "I ah... I dunno, Nic. Can we talk about it first?" He looked over at Sharon, to see if she was really okay with the idea.

"Sure," Nicole's smile dimming, "it's not going to be big, just a going-back-to-school thing. The boys have been wanting you over. You too, Rusty."

"Oh, uh..." Rusty stumbled over his words, "it's whatever Sharon wants, I guess..."

Sharon looked from one person at the table to another. Andy and Rusty had their heads down, Nic was trying to maintain her smile, and Ricky looked puzzled. The dynamic before him was very confusing. "You know the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Thank you, Nicole, that sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon. What can I do to help?"

"Nothing," Nicole's smile brightened, then she turned to Ricky, "And if you're still in town, you can come too."

Rick looked confused, but when he looked at his mother, her eyes were shining and she gave him a slight nod. "Yeah, thanks... I haven't got plans yet, so I might still be here. Thanks for including me."

"You're welcome."

Plates were passed around, showing that the crisis if not over, was at least lulled. Some appetites remained limited however. Rusty didn't seem interested in either food or conversation. Finally he had more than he could take of the unknown.

"So, I guess the adoption isn't going to happen, right?"

Ricky sighed heavily at the end of the table, while Andy rolled his eyes. Only Sharon seemed unaffected by the gestures.

"Rusty, it most certainly in going to happen. You are my family, whether we formalize it this week or next year, you are still my family. And eventually, Ricky and Emily will come around to seeing that. But..." she looked up at Ricky, nailing him in his seat with her glare, before softening to return to Rusty. "But I think Nicole has a point. I never intended to rush this. I wanted to work all of the details out before I told you. Jack took my confidence and told you behind my back. That was never my plan. So, how about this... How about we all look at what this means. And by all I mean you, Ricky and Emily as well as myself. We'll take this one step at a time. Everyone involved is an adult, and I have to treat you all as I would like to be treated in return."

Ricky looked cautious, but it was an improvement from the hostility he'd been demonstrating all evening.

"And the other legal stuff?" Rusty dared to ask. "You said if something happened to me, you wouldn't be able to make decisions for me."

"Power of Attorney, Kid. Easy piece of paper. That stuff can be written up and signed in no time, then put on your file. All that one needs is you giving permission to Sharon, a couple of witnesses, a notation about your mental state at the time, and it's done."

"That doesn't seem so bad," Rusty stabbed at a piece of shrimp on his plate.

Smiling at him, Sharon assured him, "No, it's not hard at all. And the rest... it's just a matter of adjusting, that's all."


End file.
